Nepal 2024

Official publication on the website of the Russian Chess Federation:

In total, from the city of Lukla to the base camp, the chess players had to overcome 50 kilometers and climb from a height of 2,860 meters to a height of 5,364 meters during seven days of the hike.

Tomorrow, from 8:15 Moscow time and 11:00 Nepal time, the chess tournament starts at the highest natural altitude.

The chess players will have to play 9 games according to the Swiss system with a control of 10’+3”.

Recall that the competition will be held at the highest altitude, not counting the chess games played in space. The tournament will feature a prize pool of 7 million rubles.

The games will be broadcast on the channel of the Russian Chess Federation.

Hello everyone! Koniyaki group is in touch! Tonight, part of the bravest group conquered the panoramic peak of Kala Patthar. After that, our friendly team went down to the village of Lobuche, where it was time for us to split up.

The trekkers went down Dingboche, and a group of climbers to the summit of Lobuche East stayed in the village of Lobuche.  They wanted to hold training classes, but it started snowing heavily and they decided to postpone it. Tomorrow, the climbing team ascends to the Lobuche base camp and there will be no contact with them for several days.

Nastya Kuznetsova, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

Nepal Everchess 2024, Ferice 4200 m - Lobuche 4900 m, trekking to the Everest base camp.

Snow greetings from the Himalayas!  Today we woke up to the sound of helicopters in the village of Feriche at 4,200 m. The morning was sunny and the helicopter companies operating communications throughout the valley between the Everest base camp and Lukla took advantage of this. Helicopters scurried back and forth across the valley like bumblebees over a sunflower field.

We are gaining further heights. The trees have already disappeared, followed by creeping coniferous shrubs with tiny flowers of Alpine meadows. The height in the cafe was fixed at 4600 m. Then a long climb is already under the snow to the memorial complex of the dead climbers. Every time we pass through here, we visit our friend Valery Rozov.

The village of Lobuche met us with snowdrifts and snowfall. Here we also met our guys from the team that goes to the summit of Lobuche with Sergey Avtomonov.

In the late afternoon, nature gave us a gift and showed us the surrounding Summits in the sunset light. Tomorrow we should reach our main destination - Everest Base Camp. Part of the group will go there with climbing at Kala Patthar, the other part will go directly to BC.

Your guides are Valery Myasoedov, Andrey Berezin, Anastasia Kuznetsova.

Nepal, Lobuche 4900 m.

Hello everyone!  Koni-Yaki's group had a busy day today. First, we got to the Garakshep settlements, had a meal and then went to the EVEREST base camp. There we were greeted with delicious cookies with condensed milk and tea. (We ate everything). Someone even had a check-up with Dr. Selivanov. On the way back, the weather turned a little worse, but this did not prevent us from returning to the lodge.  Tonight, part of the group goes out to Kala Patthar.

The guides Sergey Avtomonov and Daria Goryacheva were in touch.

Nastya Kuznetsova: news from Nepal, the Everchess 2024 team or "Your own board".

Nepal, Everchess 2024 team, Namche – Deboche.

Today was a rhododendron fantastic trek! The team made the march from Namche Bazaar (3450 m) to Deboche (3850 m) through a rhododendron flowering forest. According to the participants, it was an easy route compared to yesterday's acclimatization (aka rest day).

Later in the evening, another dream of some participants came true. First, we could have a cup of freshly brewed coffee with fresh pastries.

And secondly, we visited the famous Tibetan monastery of Tinboche, where we managed to see the footprints of the lama on the stone, and we also received a blessing from a Buddhist monk for our team.

In the evening after dinner, the trekker team decided to hold their alternative highest-altitude tournament at the Everest base camp, but not in chess, but in dixie cards.

Tomorrow we will go to Feriche (4,200 m). Your guides are Valery Myasoedov, Andrey Berezin, Anastasia Kuznetsova.

Nastya Kuznetsova, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

 News from Nepal from the Everchess team". Day of acclimatization in Namche Bazaar (3840 m). Today was a busy day! Our task was to acclimatize and see all the beauty around.  We started with the monument to Tenzing Norgay (the first Sherpa to climb Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary) surrounded by panoramas of mountain ranges including Mount Everest. For some team members, their wish to see Mount Everest has already been fulfilled right here.

Then we plunged into the life and history of Sherpas in the museum of the deaf-mute photographer Sonam. The next point was the sun terrace listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest mountain hotel - Everest view hotel (3880 m). We felt lucky, because we were alone in a usually crowded hotel and the view of Mount Everest opened up to us. Thanks for that!

And the most interesting thing was the live music on the piano performed by our youngest participant Peter Minko. It was amazing! Magical music on the background of stunning mountains!

Then lunch in the village of Kumjung, where the main dishes are made from potatoes. And, of course, the Kumjung Tibetan monastery, where, in addition to the yeti scalp, Tibetan books with Buddhist teachings and other relics are also kept. We returned to Namche through the rhododendron forest, the flowers of which are still in buds.

Tomorrow we will move towards the Tengboche Monastery. Everyone really wants to get into the service. Let's see how it will be.

Your guides are Valery Myasoedov, Andrey Berezin, Anastasia Kuznetsova.

News from the Koni-yaki group. Today our group woke up in the cozy Rivendell Lodge and enjoyed a delicious breakfast overlooking the majestic Mount Everest. Then we continued our journey, enjoying the views of the highest mountains such as Mount Everest, Lhotse and the beautiful Ama Dablam Mountain. Having reached our cozy lodge for the night, we are now resting and preparing for new adventures tomorrow! Guides Sergey Avtomonov and Daria Goryacheva were with you.

Nastya Kuznetsova: news from Nepal, the Everchess 2024 team or "Your own board".

Greetings from the magical Himalayan valley leading to Everest! It is magical because wishes are fulfilled here and because it is beautiful. I would like to remind you that a team of chess players with a support group is climbing to the Everest base camp in order to take part in the world's first high-altitude chess tournament organized by the Russian Chess Federation.

The team is in good shape and in a good mood! Today our way lay from Phakding to the main city of the valley - the capital of the Sherpas Namche Bazaar (3450 m). We gained about 800 m in height, left at 9.00, arrived around 17. That is, it is clear that they were in no hurry, but with jokes and jokes they smoothly gained altitude.

The chess team wasted no time, the participants played several games "blindly". Along the way, exclamations like E2, G5 were heard every now and then, and when the others decided to clarify what this meant, it turned out that the guys were playing on the move without boards, keeping the whole game in mind. Was it possible? Something incredible! I didn't know until now that it was possible!

According to Andrey Minkov, and according to the results of the Russia - Nepal chess tournament, possible favorites for the upcoming match have already been determined. These are Alexander Ryazantsev, the grandmaster and coach of the Russian national team, and Yuri Kalinichenko, who decided to join the team at the last moment and ascends to the Everest summit with his charming wife Anastasia.

Along the way, we soaked up the beauty of the valley and felt the energy and special atmosphere of the Hillary Bridge, the name of a man revered among climbers.

In the evening we walked through the streets of Namche Bazaar at sunset, after dinner we divided according to interests.

A team of chess players trained their brains, but no longer with chess, a card game with some interesting name.

Another part of the team spent the evening playing dixie and talking about the peculiarities of brain activity depending on the height factor and not only with comments from our participant, Professor of neurology Eduard Yakupov, who runs his blog and helps people with sleep disorders.

Tomorrow is the day of acclimatization and the second night in Namche Bazaar.

Your guides are Valery Myasoedov, Andrey Berezin, Anastasia Kuznetsova.

Greetings from the Koniyaki group from Dibuche!  We are climbing higher and higher, and beautiful views are beginning to open up. The beautiful Ama Dablam accompanied us all the way.

Today we spend the night in another beautiful loggia, eat lard and do not stop admiring the Ama Dablam, which is visible from the window of our dining room.

My mood is great and I feel great too!

The guides Sergey Avtomonov and Daria Goryacheva are in touch.

Nastya Kuznetsova, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

Nepal/Lukla, Evechess 2024 team news.

Hello everyone! We had some important news today. First of all, the whole team flew from Kathmandu to Lukla! Two helicopters flew from Kathmandu and took off at 5 and 7 a.m., the other half of the team took off to Lukla from Ramechap and left Kathmandu at 2 a.m.

The team gathered in Lukla and went on the route to the Everest base camp. Today's destination is a great lodge in Phakding on the riverbank, where you can still enjoy a hot shower and heated white sheets. 

Now we are resting and preparing for tomorrow's transfer to the capital of the Sherpas Namche Bazaar (3450 m), where we will spend 2 nights.

Your guides are Valery Myasoedov, Andrey Berezin and Anastasia Kuznetsova.

Phakding / Nepal.

Hello everyone, the Koniyaki team is with you! Today our group started the day with a delicious breakfast in the cozy Namche Bazaar! After that, we went on an acclimatization route to the Everest View Hotel, where we enjoyed a cup of tea while admiring the view of the majestic Everest. Then we immersed ourselves in the cultural heritage by visiting the monastery where the yeti scalp is kept. A delicious lunch at the lodge added energy before returning to Namche Bazaar. Tomorrow we will have new adventures, we will go towards the Everest base camp. The guides of the 7 Summits Club Daria Goryacheva and Sergey Avtomonov were with you!

Nastya Kuznetsova, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

News, Nepal EVECHESS 2024 team

Greetings from exciting Kathmandu!

Today was an amazing day!  In the morning, the rest of the team arrived and immediately after the flight joined a tour of Kathmandu with the incendiary Elena Trishankova. The tour took place in the top places. We started from the royal Durbar Square, where we reviewed all the carvings on temples depicting scenes of the Kama Sutra and not only, received a blessing from the living goddess Kumari.  

At the Swayambunath Monkey Temple, we made a bark around an ancient stupa, admired the views of Kathmandu from the top of the hill and purchased the most sonorous and clear-sounding singing bowls from a local master.

At the Buddhist stupa, Boudinath received a blessing from local monks (its will be useful to us now), found their place in the wheel of samsara, relaxed on the roof with beer and a breeze, went to the tank painting school.

Instead of 4-5 hours, it turned out to be 7! And it could have been even more if it hadn't been for the international chess tournament, in which our team is represented on the Russian side.

The tournament was exciting. All the fans were sweating and rooting for ours. There was a live broadcast. There were 5 rounds, everyone played with everyone. The score is 4:1 in favor of the Nepalese team.

After the match, a welcome dinner was held in the almost throne room. And after dinner, those who did not have enough of the tournament went to play a little more chess. Tomorrow we have a "fly to Lukla" quest and the first day of trekking!

Your guides are Valery Myasoedov, Andrey Berezin, Anastasia Kuznetsova.

Nepal / Kathmandu

All namaste! Today, our friendly Koniyaki team had a great walk and went up to Namche Bazaar, the capital of the Sherpas. Our march took about 6 hours. We passed through the famous suspension bridges, which impressed us very much. Upon arrival, a warm shower and white sheets were waiting for us.

Tomorrow we are waiting for the first meeting with Everest, as the plan is to walk to the Everest view hotel.

The guides Sergey Avtomonov and Daria Goryacheva are in touch.

Nastya Kuznetsova, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Nepal:

  Nepal news, Day 1, April 29th. The EverChess 2024 team. Greetings to all from dusty Kathmandu! Here begins one of the most intriguing expeditions of this season, or maybe of the year, or maybe in general in history. The intrigue is that the Russian Chess Federation, with the support of the 7 Summits Club, is organizing an international chess tournament at an altitude of 5,300 m for the first time in history. It will take place at the Everest base camp, at the camp of the Everest expedition of the 7 Summits Club, where the high-altitude adaptation of the expedition participants is already underway.

The participants of the tournament will have to follow the classic trekking route to the Everest Base Camp in order to have time to adapt and get used to the altitude by the beginning of the tournament. The tournament itself is scheduled for May 8, 2024.

  Part of the group has already arrived and is resting after the flights, we will meet the rest of the participants tomorrow. But that's not all! Tomorrow, in addition to a tour of the ancient beauties of Kathmandu with an amazing guide Elena Trishankova and a welcome dinner, another significant event will take place. It will be a friendly match between the chess players of the Nepal Chess Federation and our chess players from Russia. The President of the Nepal Chess Federation has already come to us today to discuss the details. He wants to take part in the tournament personally!

In the meantime, our team is just going to Kathmandu and all the fun is still ahead!

Your guides are Valery Myasoedov, Andrey Berezin, Anastasia Kuznetsova from Kathmandu, Nepal.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Sergey Avtomonov reports from Nepal:

Greetings from Koniyaki group from Nepal!  We arrived in Lukla today and started our trek. We got up at 4 a.m. to get on the first helicopter. The main team left at dawn. Then we had breakfast, got permits and moved up the beautiful valley towards our lodge. We had lunch and went to the monastery. We go to Namche Bazaar tomorrow.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Nepal:

Namaste from Nepal!  On April 23, the group of the 7 Summits Club "Himalayan fox cubs" climbed to the top of Mera Peak, with a height of 6470 m. The weather was perfect, 5 eight-thousand-meter Summits were visible from the top: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga and Cho-Oyu. After climbing, we descended to Khare, from where we took off by helicopter to Lukla the next day. 

Namaste from Nepal!  The Himalayan Fox Cubs group continues to acclimatize and prepare for the ascent of Mera Peak. Today we had climbed to the Mera La pass with a height of 5,300 meters. We worked out the movement in ropes on the glacier. Tomorrow we will go to the assault camp at 5800, from where we will go out to storm the summit. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Sergey Avtomonov.

Namaste from Nepal! The Himalayan Fox Cubs group climbed to a height of 5260 m in the morning. In the plans for acclimatization, and after lunch we mastered jumars and launching devices. Tomorrow we plan to climb the Mera La pass.  The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Sergey Avtomonov.

Namaste from Nepal!  The Himalayan Fox Cubs group made themarch from Tagnaka to Khare, where we will spend a few days before climbing Mera Peak.  The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Sergey Avtomonov.

Namaste from Nepal!  News from the 7 Summits Club group "Himalayan Foxes", who are confidently moving towards the peak. We were out of touch for three days (repeater failure). During this time, we crossed the Zatrva-La pass, 4600m high. We went down to the village of Khote through a beautiful spring forest. And today we moved to the village of Tagnak. Tomorrow we will go up to the Khare settlement, where we will have a base camp for the near future.  The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Sergey Avtomonov.